Authorities in southwestern Uganda are investigating the death of a woman whose body was found dumped in the compound of Nyakijumba Roman Catholic Church on Sunday, police said.

Police indicated that she may have been killed elsewhere before her body was moved to the church grounds.

"The scene was visited, processed, and documented by the police. When our sniffer dog was introduced, it led us to the lover's home near the church," said Elly Maate, Kigezi region police spokesman.

Police discovered signs suggesting the body had been dragged from the suspect's home to the church compound.

"Pieces of a suspected mattress and blanket soaked with fluids were recovered from the house and have been submitted for forensic analysis," Maate said.
He added that preliminary observations suggest the deceased's body had spent about three days inside the house, which may have been the primary scene of the crime, before being abandoned at the church.

The body was retrieved and taken to Kabale Regional Referral Hospital for a postmortem examination.

Police said the suspect remains at large, and efforts to apprehend him are ongoing.

"Inquiries are still at hand," Maate added.

The incident has heightened concerns over violent crime in the Kigezi sub-region. Religious and local leaders have in recent months called for coordinated community efforts to combat rising murders, attributing the trend to alcoholism, drug abuse, domestic violence, land conflicts, and delayed court proceedings that sometimes prompt mob justice.

According to police reports, Kigezi recorded 18 murders in April, 10 in March, and nine in February.

"The public must not take the law into their own hands but engage authorities to resolve grievances," Maate maintained in a brief Sunday statement.